Fashion Design (AAS)

Maria Pereira

Spirit Animals (2016)

People in some indigenous cultures believe that we all have a spirit animal residing within us, who serves as a guide and protector. This project is inspired by that belief. It symbolically represents our connection to nature. I attempted to merge animals and human beings, without the use of animal-derived materials such as fur, leather, or feathers. Instead I used fringes, hand-frayed fabric, and hand-embroidered symbols to represent those materials. Eighty percent of this collection is made out of natural fibers (linen), and the details are the collection’s focus. Eighteen hours were spent hand-embroidering the poncho and twenty-seven were spent on the bralette. In a world that is ever more dependent on machines, I wanted to draw people with one-of-a-kind pieces and an appreciation for handwork and craftsmanship rather than mass-produced fast fashion.